Electrical switches using push button or plunger type switch actuators have many applications including use in automobile car doors, ignition circuits, power take-offs for lawn mowers and garden tractors, refrigerator doors, home appliances, and the like, hereinafter “power equipment”. These push buttons may be normally open, normally closed or a combination of the two.
It is possible to construct switches having two or more terminals, which combine the features of normally open and normally closed switches. For example, a “double-pole double-throw” switch behaves as a normally open switch and a normally closed switch in parallel operated by a single plunger. When the plunger is in a normal position, a pair of normally closed terminals is bridged and a pair of normally open terminals is isolated. Alternatively, when the plunger is moved to an actuated position, the normally open terminals are bridged and the normally closed terminals are isolated. A “single-pole double-throw” switch behaves like a double-pole double-throw switch in which one of the normally open terminals is coupled to one of the normally closed terminals. When the plunger is in the normal position, a common terminal is bridged with a normally closed terminal while a normally open terminal is isolated. Alternatively, when the plunger is in the actuated position, the common terminal is bridged with the normally open terminal while the normally closed terminal is isolated.
Plunger switches are suitable for numerous objectives when used with power equipment. Such objectives include, but are not limited to, safety tether switch, boat trim switch, boat throttle neutral switch, off-road utility brake light switch, back-up light switch, E-stop switch, power take off enable/disable switch, and sense position switches.
Further discussion relating to the different switch constructions can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,528,007 entitled PLUNGER SWITCH AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE that issued on Jun. 18, 1996 and assigned to the assignee of the present disclosure. U.S. Pat. No. 5,528,007 is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.